21 Mar (NucNet): Work has resumed at India’s Kudankulam nuclear plant a day after the local government in the southern state of Tamil Nadu gave the green light for the resumption of the Russia-backed project.
Since the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear accident in Japan in March 2011, activists have campaigned to stop work at the plant, where construction of two VVER V-412 units began in 2002.
But yesterday the government of Tamil Nadu said it had considered reports submitted by a government-appointed independent safety group and work on the site could continue.
According to plant operator the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), the first unit is 99 percent complete and the second almost 95 percent. NCPIL has not officially said when it expects the units to begin commercial operation.
Fuel loading at unit 1 was originally scheduled for September 2011 and first criticality for December 2011.
NCPIL said in a statement that costs of almost 1 million US dollars a day had been incurred since work at the plant stopped. The company also said total costs had increased from about $2.3 billion to $2.5 billion.
In March 2010 India and Russia agreed a roadmap for the construction of four further units at Kudankulam.
